Danish Nationals Born Outside Denmark and the 22-year rule

Danish nationals born outside Denmark may lose their Danish nationality on attaining the age of 22, unless they apply between the age of 21 and 22 to retain it. Please see the information on the website of the Danish Ministry of Immigration and Integration (Danish only).

Retention of Danish nationality may be granted in the following cases:

1. If you are resident in Denmark immediately before the age of 22 and apply in Denmark.

Continuous stay - where you have registered with the authorities in Denmark (Folkeregistret) - of a minimum of 3 months as being sufficient to meet this requirement. Residence in Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden for an aggregate period of not less than 7 years is equated with residence in Denmark.

Or

2. If you have spent time in Denmark before the age of 22 under circumstances indicating some association with the country.

The total of all stays (holidays and other longer stays) should add up to approx. 1 year before age 22 (or a total of 7 years in another Nordic country), and you should have a working knowledge of the Danish language.

All applications are assessed individually and it is advisable to apply, even if you are in doubt whether you qualify.

If you are already over 22 years old you may still apply, but your total stays in Denmark must add up to at least 1 year before age 22.

Or

3. If loss of Danish nationality will make you stateless.

For further information please contact the Nationality Office at the Danish Ministry for Aliens and Integration:

Applications for retention of Danish nationality should be submitted between the age of 21 and 22. .

Your application should be sent direct to the Ministry for Aliens and Integration at the above address. The application fee is DKK 1.200. Further information on how to pay can be found on the website of the Danish Ministry for Integration (Danish only).

You can, however, also submit the application through the Embassy/Danish speaking Consulate/Vice-Consulate, but the following feeswould apply (in addition to the application charge paid direct to the Ministry):

£24.00 for the Embassy/Consulate/Vice-Consulate to submit the application and forward the Certificate of Nationality to the applicant at the conclusion of the application. The application will not be checked. If you choose this method, further charges may apply, for example if further correspondence with the Ministry for Aliens and Integration is necessary:

£118.00 per hour or part thereof for the Embassy/Consulate/Vice-Consulate undertake the whole application and any correspondence with the Ministry for Aliens and Integration.

Please note that if you did not apply to retain your Danish nationality before age 22, but would have fulfilled the conditions (any periods of stay in Denmark after 22 will not count), had you done so, it is still possible to apply.

If you have lost your Danish nationality, because you did not fulfil the conditions of the 22-year rule, it will not be possible to regain it by Declaration, but can only be done by Naturalisation.

Copy of your Certificate of Danish Nationality

If you have obtained Danish nationality by naturalisation/declaration or applied to retain your Danish nationality after age 22 and have lost your Certificate of Danish Nationality (Indfødsretsbevis) you cannot obtain a copy of the original certificate, but you can ask the Nationality Office to provide confirmation that a Certificate of Danish Nationality was issued to you (Bevisbekræftelse):

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